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Coach Gray will look for the newcomers to make an immediate impact in 2014

March 4, 2014

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall men’s soccer coach Bob Gray has announced the addition of seven players to the Thundering Herd roster for the 2014 season.

Mike Abraham, Goran Bratic, Scott Doney, Christian Kershaw, Ivan Sekulic, and Cory Shimensky will all join the team this fall as letter-of-intent signees. Austin Klueh and Ryan Forde already are enrolled in MU classes for the spring semester and part of the team, having transferred to MU during the winter break.

"We’re really happy with our recruiting class for the fall of 2014," Gray said. "We added players at the positions we needed to fill and we believe we have real impact players coming in."

*Abraham, a midfielder from Chesapeake, Va., played for legendary club coach Jay Hoffman with the Virginia Rush Developmental Academy.

Gray: “Mike is a bulldog, he is tenacious and can play out wide or in the back for us,” Gray said. “He has a great work rate and he is ultra-competitive.”

*Bratic, a forward from Belgrade, Serbia, played for FC Partizan, one of the most decorated youth clubs in Serbia.

Gray: “He is a very mobile and active second forward who can also play as an attacking midfielder, and has the ability to make a major impact on the squad this fall. Goran has a great combination of soccer savviness, size, and strength. We expect big things from him.”

*Doney, a forward from Tauranga, New Zealand, is a member of the New Zealand U20 National Team. He is in full-time academy residency now until he joins the Herd in the fall.

Gray: “Scott is a big, mobile target forward who demands attention from center backs. His U20 experience will be a big plus for us this fall. He has all the tools to be a significant factor in our success.”

*Kershaw, a defender/midfielder from Severna Park, Md., has played the last few years with the DC United Developmental Academy squad. He is a versatile and intelligent player that has the ability to play wide but also in central spots.

Gray: “Christian is true a student of the game. He has a great footballing mind that serves him well on the pitch.”

*Sekulic, a midfielder from Zagreb, Croatia, currently plays for NK Lucko Zagreb in the Croatian National League. He is a quick and athletic midfielder who loves to have the ball at his feet.

Gray: “Ivan should be a top class player for us and should make a big impact in Conference USA. He has all the tools to succeed in college soccer: pace, fitness, remarkable technique, and a good soccer mind.”

Shimensky, a defender from Kent, Ohio, plays with the Internationals DA club. Having played Academy full-time for three years, he brings a good pedigree to Huntington and will challenge for a starting defender role in the fall.

Gray: “Cory is a strong, disciplined defender who rarely gets beat one-on-one and he reads the game very well. He’s going to surprise some folks in the fall. He is passionate and very committed to coming in in top form.”

*Forde, a midfielder from Harrow, England, is a transfer from Concord University’s NCAA Division II program. He will be a junior for the 2014 season.

Gray: “Ryan is a rugged central midfielder who loves the ball and has the uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time. “We love his work ethic and determination. He is going to fill a void for us and he has done quite well in his short time here on campus.”

*Klueh, a center back from Loveland, Ohio, joined the Herd this semester as a transfer from junior college powerhouse Cincinnati State. He will be a junior in the 2014 season.

Gray: “Austin joining us this spring is a great advantage. He is already settling into the center back position and is a good leader and team player. He was a key contributor to Cincinnati State’s national tournament run the last two years, and that high level of soccer will be a great plus for him.”

The Herd kicks begins the 2014 season with a pair of home exhibition matches at Veterans Memorial Soccer Complex against Bowling Green (Aug. 20) and Radford (Aug. 23).